12 ASHBY—The Birds of the Mallee. 



Several were heard during the daj, biit the continuous wind 

 made it difficult to locate sounds. Wattle Birds {Coleia carun- 

 culata tregellasi were very numerous and several clutches of 

 eggs obtained. The Spiny-Cheeked Honey Eater [Acantha- 

 genys refogularis cygnus) -svere also common but no nests were 

 found. Its loud, very attractive notes contributed towards the 

 music of the scrub. Meliornis novacliollandUie was hardly as 

 numerous as the foregoing, the sx^ecimen shot did not appear 

 to differ from the normal form. Several small flocks of the 

 Brown Honey Eater {MelitJircptus atricapillus mallee) were 

 noticed, our attention being attracted to them by their familiar 

 cry. The White-Eared Honey Eater (.Vr.*s'o/>//7of('.s Iriicofis 

 depauperata) was very numerous. Included in their repertoire 

 are some notes suggesting a musical Bull Erog: another far 

 less musical note, almost ideniical with the call note of 

 Ptilotis sonora. we heard constantly through the bush, and as- 

 cribed it to the species. One can hardly think that Mr. 

 Mathews was justified in separating the South Australian 

 Mallee Bird from the Victorian form found in their mallee. 

 In the 11)1'^> list he calls one mallee and the other dcpnuprrata. 

 No nests were found although the birds had evidently paired. 

 We decided to make our night camp further back where the 

 mallee had not been burnt out. and! on our way there disturbed 

 several Xeoiuniodes. The motor was pulled up as quickly as 

 possible and my companions soon got on the track of a flock 

 which turned out to be elegaiis. Specimens were obtained 

 several of them showing the abdominal orange blotch. On 

 getting through the fence a little to the right of where '(he 

 others had gone I flushed another parrot which settled in a 

 low bush and I shot it with a small charge, and was delighted 

 'to find that it was a fine male Xeonanodes chrysostomus. the 

 Blue-winged Parrot, a bird I have been searching for for 

 years. On firing the shot a small flock of 



about eight birds Tose. but as I kept my eyes on 

 tte bird I bad shot I did not see tlie direction the flo>ck took. 

 Concluding that Messrs. Parsons and McGi'lp were getting 

 tlie same species. I was much disappointed and sur^msed 

 to find that the flock thpy were after were all 

 elegaris. We came back next morning but were only able to 

 flush that species. I have no doubt that there were two sepe- 

 rate flocks, one of each species. This surmise is borne out by 

 the fact that the rhrysostojiinff Avas replete with fat. whereas 

 all the elegans obtained were only in fair condition. The 

 accident of following the wrong flook wa.^i most di.sap])'ointing. 



